Variable carriage-feed mechanism for typewriters



July 17, 1923. 1,462,183

A. 8. WHEELER VARIABLE CARRIAGE FEED MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRI TERS Filed Sept. 9. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l July '17, 1923. 1,462,183

- A. s. WHEELER VARIABLE CARRIAGE FEED MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITE RS Filed Sept. 9, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 r O 2 {ET l 5L 1 i mi 5 Q w/r/vmm s 9 1 flwfifzw July 1?, 192a. 1,462,183

7 A; 5. WHEELER VARIABLE CARRIAGE FEED MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Sept. 9, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q I: Q R=L I W k g; ATTORNEY- Patented July 17, 1923.

tlhilTED s'rArEs ARTHUR S. WHEELER, OF NEW YORK. N. Y.'

VARIABLE CARRIAGE-FEED MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS.

Application filed September 9, 1922. Serial No. 587,101.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, ARTHUR S. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Bronx, city of New York, county of Bronx, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Variable Carriage-Feed Mechanism for Typewriters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to typewriters, and more particularly to a variable 5 acing mechanism'for the carriage feed. uch a machine is useful for many purposes among which is the regulating of the spacing in accordance with the number of characters in and the length of the written lines so that thelines may be of even length, as is done in justifying type in setting up printing. Another useful purpose is the changing of the spacing to conform to the size of the type, asfor example when changing from pica to elite. This latter is particularly useful in connection with a typewriter having easily changeable type, and the well-known Hammond typewriter is a good example of this class of machine. 7

The object of my invention is to produce a variable carriage feed mechanism that may be economically incorporated in the manufacture of the typewriter, that will have the different spacings selectively controllable by the operator and that will give uniform results.

I attain this object by providing the carriage with a plurality of racks so arranged with respect to a plurality of different sized gears controlled by the escapement mechanism that any one of the gears may be caused to engage one of the racks at the will of the operator, while the other gears remain" out of mesh.

.My invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings in sufiicient detail to enable those skilled in the art to readily understand it. In, the draw- 1n 5 igure 1 is a plan View of the well-known Hammond typewriter showing where the control handle of the variable spacing mechanism is located on the machine.

Figure 2 is a rear v1ew, partly in sectlon,

of the typewriter showing the racks and pinions. k v

Figure 3 is a sectional View on lines 3--3 of Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a .frag'mental view of the operating lever and sector.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the typewriter, with parts cut away, showing the variable spacing mechanism.

Figure 6 is a detail showing the levers and links for shifting the pinions so that one or another engages its rack.

Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of F igure 5.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Figure 1, shows the main features of the Hammond typewriter, which it is not thought necessary to describe in detail. The

paper (not shown), at the point where the character is printed, lies between the tape 1 and the type shuttle 2, which is mounted on the anvil 3. Ink ribbon at is between the paper and the type on shuttle 2. When the keys (not shown) are depressed by the operator, shuttle 2 is rotated to bring thev proper character opposite hammer 5, which is brought forward to bring the paper against the ribbon and the character on shuttle 2 that it is desired to print. It will be noted that anvil 3 is made to receive an additional type shuttle 6 whichmay have type of a for the anvil previously used. The sector 8 is attached to the frame of the machine and the positions of the handle 9 as indicated at 1, 2 and 3 are the positions corresponding to three different spacings of the carriage feed as will be more fully described hereinafter. When a type shuttle is changed, the spacing proper therefor is selected by the operator.

Three racks 10, 11 and 12 (Figure 2) are attached to the carriage 13 by screws 14. A shaft 15 (see also Figures 5 and 7) is mounted under the racks. 10, 11 and 12 in the typewriter frame and transversely to the racks. A sleeve having on it three pinions 16, 17 and 18 is slidably mounted on shaft 15v but rotates with it. The diameters of. these pinions and the elevations of the teeth of the different racks above shaft is constant for each depression of a key,

and consequently the distance the carriage will move will depend on the diameter of the pinion in mesh with its rack. Thus when pinion 16 meshes with rack 10, the carriage moves a greater distance than when pinion 18 meshes with rack 12.

As shown in Figure 5, gear 18 is in mesh with rack 12 and is held in position by fork 22 of lever 23 which is'fulcrumed at 24. A strip of spring steel 25 forms an extension to lever 23, and at its end it is pivotally connected to link 26. The other end of link 26 is pivotally connected to arm 27 which is secured to bolt 28 within the frame of the typewriter. Lever 9, which is the op erating lever, is also secured to bolt 28 but is outside the frame.

The operation in shifting from one position to another, as for example from that shown in Figure 5 where pinion 18 is in mesh with rack 12 to that shown in full lines in Figure 6 where pinion 17 meshes with rack 11, is done by movin handle 9 from the central position (see *igure 4) toward the front of the machine until the spring latch in .handle 9 engages opening 29 in Sector 8, which is position 1 of Figure 1.

- If pinion 17 happens to be in such position that its teeth will hit against the teeth in rack 11, spring 25 will be deflected and will exert pressure between pinion 17 and rack 11. If now the carriage be moved slightly, pinion 17 will immediately slip into mesh With rack 11. Handle 9 can equally well be shifted from the position shown in full lines in Figure 6 to that shown in dotted lines when it is desired to engage pinion 16 f with rack 10 and spring 25 will insure.

proper meshing on the first movement of the carriage. When shifting from one spacing to another, I prefer to move the carriage a short distance by hand in the opposite direction to its motion when writing, as in that way the writingv may be resumed in the least time at the proper point, using the new spacing.

A yielding connection between the p1nions and operating lever is important, as with certain relations between the sizes of the pinions, the teeth can not be opposite each other. The ielding connection, however, must hold thepinions and racks se curely in the position selected by the operator.

As an example of the variations in spacing possible according to my invention, I

have made machines having spacin s of 11,,

15 and 18 characters to the inch. or justifying type the spacings may be 10, 11 and 12 to the inch. Although I have described my invention in connection with a mechanism designed for three difierent spacings, I do not desire to be limited to that number as I' maiy employ two or more than three.

claim 1. A variable spacing carriage feed mechanism having rack and gear connection between the escapement and the carriage, said rack and gear connection comprisinga plurality of gears and racks, and yielding manually controlled means for bringing a selected pair of said gears and racks into mesh to establish the desired interval of spacing.

2. A variable spacing carriage feed mechanism having rack and gear connection between the escapement and the carriage, said rack and gear connection comprising a plurality of gears and racks, and manually controlled means having a yielding connection to said gears for bringing a selected pair of said gears and racks into mesh to establish the desired interval of spacing.

3. A variable spacing carriage feed mechanism for typewriters comprising in combination a plurality of racks extending longitudinally of and attached to the carriage, a shaft mounted transversely to said racks, pinions of different diameters equal in number to the racks and slidably mounted on said shaft but rotating with it, said pinions being adapted to mesh eachwith one of the racks, and means for selectively shifting said pinions to cause any desired pinion to mesh with its rack for giving the desired spacing. 1

4. A variable spacing carriage feed mechanism for typewriters comprising in combination a plurality of racks extending longitudinally of and attached to the carriage, a shaft mounted transversely to said racks. pinions of different diameters equal in number to the racks and slidably mounted on said .shaft but rotating with it, said pinions being adapted to mesh each with one of the racks, and means for imanually selectively shifting said pinions to cause any desired pinion to mesh with its rack forgiving the desired spacing. I p a 5. A variable spacing carriage feed mechanism for typewriters comprising in combination a plurality of racks extending longitudinally of and attached to the carriage, a shaft mounted transversely to said racks, pinions of different diameters equal in number to the racks and slidably mounted on said shaft but rotating with it, said pinions being adapted to mesh each with one of the racks, an operating handle for controlling said means, and a yielding connection between said means and said operating handle. 

